The Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, has suggested that the Federal Government and conveners if the planned nationwide protests need to urgently engage in a realistic dialogue.
The group posited that this was necessary to avert the looming anarchy if the situation degenerates or snowballs into an uncontrollable scenario.
Prof. Khalid Aliyu, the Secretary General of JNI, made its position known in a statement in Kaduna on Friday.
Admitting that the country is actually experiencing hardship, it noted the protest might not bring the edited result and expectations.
“The JNI under the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, with all sense of responsibility appeals to the protest convener, their covert and overt benefactors,” the statement read.
“As well as other critical stakeholders and the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently engage in critical and realistic dialogue before the situation degenerates or snowballs into an uncontrollable scenario.
“Nigerians no doubt are passing through difficult challenges, but protest might not be the panacea.”
The JNI warned against the ugly consequences of priests as experienced in other countries, such as Libya, Syria, Iraq, U.S. (Capitol Hill), Ukraine, Tunisia, Sudan, Russia, among others.
“A glance through the events in Kenya give some glimpses of what might envelop our dear nation Nigeria, which is struggling to survive the multiple challenges that dot the landscape of the country,” it added.
“Undoubtedly, protests in Nigeria could mar our efforts at addressing these challenges.
“As it may, we should learn from the bad experiences of protests in other climes and we should avoid the bobby traps they had fallen into.
“Therefore, the JNI is compelled to make this clarion call and passionate plea to all concerned parties.We have stated times without number in our previous press releases, that food security is synonymous with home security.’’
According to Aliyu, the Sultan of Sokoto has urged Nigerians to be introspective and be honest on the matter, saying that the discontentment and disillusionment being expressed are real and needed to be tackled head-on by the government.
He urged the Federal Government to make more frantic efforts to secure the country so that the citizens would have access to their lands, provide subsidised farming materials, promote industrialisation, and create self-sustaining agro-business in the six-geopolitical zones.
Moreover, he added, the government should boost quality education, especially primary, technical and vocational education.
Aliyu attributed the recent calls and counter-calls for protest in Nigeria to worrisome food insecurity, inflation, abject poverty and escalating national security challenges, which require urgent attention.
